| Date: | Sunday 3 September 1989 |
| Time: | 18:57 |
| Type: |  Ilyushin Il-62M |
| Owner/operator: | Cubana de Aviación |
| Registration: | CU-T1281 |
| MSN: | 3850453 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1988 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 1326 hours |
| Cycles: | 254 flights |
| Engine model: | Soloviev D-30KU |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 126 / Occupants: 126 |
| Other fatalities: | 24 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed, written off |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | 0,7 km NE of Havana-José Martí International Airport (HAV) -
 Cuba
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi |
| Departure airport: | Havana-José Martí International Airport (HAV/MUHA) |
| Köln/Bonn Airport (CGN/EDDK) | |
| Investigating agency: | IACC |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Cubana flight 9046, an Ilyushin Il-62M, was destroyed in a takeoff accident at Havana-José Martí International Airport (HAV), Cuba.
All 126 occupants and 24 persons on the ground were killed.
The aircraft operated on a charter flight from Havana to Milan, Italy, with a planned technical stop at Köln/Bonn, Germany.
The aircraft was cleared for a departure from runway 05. Weather was poor with a rain storm over the field with a 7/8 cloud cover at 540-600 meters altitude and cumulonimbus clouds in the area. The final wind check before takeoff was reported to be 90 degrees at 20-26 knots. Takeoff was commenced at 18:56 hours. The gear was raised after takeoff and the flaps were selected up to 15° from 30° while the aircraft climbed through an altitude of 40 meters (130 ft), reaching a highest altitude of 56 meters (184 ft). The aircraft was caught in downdrafts and descended until impacting ILS aerials 67 seconds after commencing takeoff and 220 meters past the runway end. The aircraft broke up and burst into flames as it proceeded up a hill before crashing into a residential area. All 126 on board died in the accident, along with 24 persons on the ground. One passenger, a 22 year old male initially survived the crash but died on September 11, eight days after the accident.
Probable cause (translated from Spanish):
1) The existence of an adverse atmospheric phenomenon of windshear at low altitude, of which existence the captain did not know.
2) An unwise decision of the pilot in command to not postpone the takeoff given the existing weather conditions near the airfield.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
INAC Final Report
Location
Images:
photo (c) via Werner Fischdick; Paris-Orly Airport (ORY/LFPO); April 1989
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 28-Jul-2024 07:50 | ASN | Updated [Accident report, ] |
| 15-Apr-2025 13:32 | ASN | Updated [Narrative, ] |
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2025 Flight Safety Foundation